Hell and the Logical Implications of One's Arguments (Part 3) – Ezekiel 28 and the Devil

In Parts 1 and 2, we looked at arguments that were made specifically for the traditional view and saw why they fail when they are taken to their logical conclusions. In this installment of the series, we will be looking at things from a different angle. Here, we will be looking at a claim that some traditionalists make on an unrelated topic, and how, if the logical implications are considered, it would lend a substantial amount of weight towards annihilationism.The topic at hand is .1Why does this passage come into play? This passage comes into play because many evangelicals believe that it is describing the devil. I myself do not; when addressing this issue in the past, I was skeptical of this interpretation.2 I am even more skeptical now. But be that as it may, many traditionalists think otherwise, so let’s take a look at what that means.
I had originally only thought a few fringe conditionalists thought that was about the devil, until I heard it in a conservative evangelical church where traditionalism was assumed. When I looked into it, I found that some notable traditionalists share the view.
– Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears (of Western Seminary) cite (as well as ) when discussing the devil, writing, “Judged by God for his sin, the Serpent and his servants were then cast to earth”3
– John MacArthur points to (along with ) as scriptural proof that Satan fell4
– Bill Wiese, in recounting his 23 minutes in “hell,” points to this passage as describing the profanity in hell: “: ‘You were the annointed cherub who covers…therefore I cast you as a profane thing [Satan profane].”5
-Even Jonathan Edwards points to various verses in this passage as descriptions of Satan, not the King of Tyre6
I wonder, if a poll were taken among pastors and teachers, what percentage would affirm this view. My guess is it would still be a minority, but it wouldn’t be a tiny fringe, that’s for sure, as any number of other evangelical authors have held this same view.7891011

Why it Matters

The significance of this passage is found in the final verse:

All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.

This prophecy, if speaking of Satan, ends with a claim that annihilationists would give a standing ovation to. He will be no more. I agree; the devil will be no more. He won’t be off in some far-flung area of creation, being tormented for ever and ever. He won’t simply be defeated. He won’t even just be “destroyed” or face “death.” He will be no more! What could possibly be better for my case than a passage of the Bible saying that the devil “will be no more”?
Now, one may very well point out that the Bible speaks of people being no more when in reality they are just suffering the first death, and will not be truly gone forever. But if we’re dealing with the devil, we must remember that the devil is not a human. Unlike a human, for whom a warning of being “no more” could just be a very forceful way of saying he would suffer the first death, the devil does not suffer a first death. Unlike a human, there isn’t that sense in which he will “be no more” temporarily but still exists and will be alive again. The devil doesn’t die and get resurrected. He is around until the end. Traditionally, he is said to simply always be alive and immortal.12 Unlike a warning for a human king, any such warning for the devil would be nothing other than eschatological. And he will be no more. How much more annihilationist-friendly could a passage about the devil be?
If this passage were about the devil, then this is devastating to the traditionalist case. When God warns of the devil’s ultimate fate, there is nothing about suffering or eternal experience, but simply that he would be no more. And yet the traditionalist who see this as a reference to the devil miss this. This shouldn’t surprise anyone; as said before, it’s easy to miss what you aren’t looking for. If someone assumes that the devil lives forever, a reference to a person who is believed to be the devil being condemned to being “no more” is unlikely to raise a red flag because they don’t expect to see that. And perhaps some see the possible implication and don’t bring it up; it’s not uncommon for books or sermons to skip over . But whatever the case, you now know it’s there and what the implications are.

What I Really Think The Passage Is About

As mentioned before, I’m not advocating this passage as actually teaching the annihilation of the devil, since I don’t think it is about the devil. I think it is about the king of Tyre. After all, is rather clear and straightforward: “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God…'” Some insist that it cannot be about the king of Tyre because the descriptions that follow are not applicable to a mere man. If you take them all literally, then this is true; they would not describe a mere man, the king of Tyre. The problem is, if is taken literally, then it has to be about that mere man, the king of Tyre…
This isn’t a matter of interpreting it literally vs. figuratively. Unless the king of Tyre was himself a literal cherub in the Garden of Eden, no one can take every element of the passage literally. Those who insist on being “literal” and saying that it is about the devil are themselves not being literal when they say this passage is about the devil!
It is my contention, at least, that if God specifically tells His prophet to give a message to a real person who was alive at the time (), then that is the part of the message that would be the most literal and straightforward. Ezekiel wasn’t just musing and talking about things and then the king of Tyre was mentioned out of nowhere. Ezekiel, the watchman whose mission was to warn people to repent, was told to deliver the message. That God would use some hyperbolic language to make the point makes a lot more sense than Ezekiel just randomly talking about the devil without ever mentioning that that is what he was doing. True, God saying things of the king of Tyre that are not literally true is not ideal for committed literalists, but again, that ship sailed when they said that this passage was about the devil.
In fact, if you think about it, most of the descriptions in this passage that are said to be about the devil are never given anywhere else in the Bible. In other words, it is presumed that this is about the devil because the descriptions sound like what we know about the devil, and yet we only “know” these things about the devil because this passage is presumed to be about the devil! It’s circular reasoning!13 There is nothing in the passage to indicate it is about the devil.
Of course, if I’m wrong, then that’s okay – I’m all for a prophet telling us that the devil himself will be no more.

I use “alive” and “immortal” in the way we all use those terms in pretty much every context other than discussions about hell – or how most traditionalists use them when speaking frankly of the unsaved in hell (See Episode 58). [↩]

Some of the themes recur briefly in as well. However, that doesn’t make the reasoning any less circular. has the same problems. It is never said to be about the devil, but it is assumed to be about the devil because the descriptions sound like what has traditionally been believed about him – things traditionally believed about him because of that very passage and this one (), which likewise is never said to be about the devil but is believed to be about him because it sounds like what has traditionally been believed about the him – things traditionally believed about the devil because of this very verse and , which again, is never said to be about the devil but is assumed to be about the devil because the descriptions sound like what is traditionally believed about him – things traditionally believed because of that very verse and this one…
That wasn’t a typo; I wanted to illustrate the circular reasoning involved with both passages. [↩]

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;every precious stone was your covering,sardius, topaz, and diamond,beryl, onyx, and jasper,sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;and crafted in gold were your settingsand your engravings.On the day that you were createdthey were prepared.14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.15 You were blameless in your waysfrom the day you were created,till unrighteousness was found in you.16 In the abundance of your tradeyou were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire.17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.I cast you to the ground;I exposed you before kings,to feast their eyes on you.18 By the multitude of your iniquities,in the unrighteousness of your tradeyou profaned your sanctuaries;so I brought fire out from your midst;it consumed you,and I turned you to ashes on the earthin the sight of all who saw you.19 All who know you among the peoplesare appalled at you;you have come to a dreadful endand shall be no more forever.”

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;every precious stone was your covering,sardius, topaz, and diamond,beryl, onyx, and jasper,sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;and crafted in gold were your settingsand your engravings.On the day that you were createdthey were prepared.14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.15 You were blameless in your waysfrom the day you were created,till unrighteousness was found in you.16 In the abundance of your tradeyou were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire.17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.I cast you to the ground;I exposed you before kings,to feast their eyes on you.18 By the multitude of your iniquities,in the unrighteousness of your tradeyou profaned your sanctuaries;so I brought fire out from your midst;it consumed you,and I turned you to ashes on the earthin the sight of all who saw you.19 All who know you among the peoplesare appalled at you;you have come to a dreadful endand shall be no more forever.”

28:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord God:

“Because your heart is proud,and you have said, ‘I am a god,I sit in the seat of the gods,in the heart of the seas,’yet you are but a man, and no god,though you make your heart like the heart of a god—3 you are indeed wiser than Daniel;no secret is hidden from you;4 by your wisdom and your understandingyou have made wealth for yourself,and have gathered gold and silverinto your treasuries;5 by your great wisdom in your tradeyou have increased your wealth,and your heart has become proud in your wealth—6 therefore thus says the Lord God:Because you make your heartlike the heart of a god,7 therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,the most ruthless of the nations;and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdomand defile your splendor.8 They shall thrust you down into the pit,and you shall die the death of the slainin the heart of the seas.9 Will you still say, ‘I am a god,’in the presence of those who kill you,though you are but a man, and no god,in the hands of those who slay you?10 You shall die the death of the uncircumcisedby the hand of foreigners;for I have spoken, declares the Lord God.”

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;every precious stone was your covering,sardius, topaz, and diamond,beryl, onyx, and jasper,sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;and crafted in gold were your settingsand your engravings.On the day that you were createdthey were prepared.14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.15 You were blameless in your waysfrom the day you were created,till unrighteousness was found in you.16 In the abundance of your tradeyou were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire.17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.I cast you to the ground;I exposed you before kings,to feast their eyes on you.18 By the multitude of your iniquities,in the unrighteousness of your tradeyou profaned your sanctuaries;so I brought fire out from your midst;it consumed you,and I turned you to ashes on the earthin the sight of all who saw you.19 All who know you among the peoplesare appalled at you;you have come to a dreadful endand shall be no more forever.”

11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,the sound of your harps;maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,and worms are your covers.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of GodI will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assemblyin the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’15 But you are brought down to Sheol,to the far reaches of the pit.16 Those who see you will stare at youand ponder over you:‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,who shook kingdoms,17 who made the world like a desertand overthrew its cities,who did not let his prisoners go home?’18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,each in his own tomb;19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,like a loathed branch,clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,who go down to the stones of the pit,like a dead body trampled underfoot.20 You will not be joined with them in burial,because you have destroyed your land,you have slain your people.

“May the offspring of evildoersnevermore be named!21 Prepare slaughter for his sonsbecause of the guilt of their fathers,lest they rise and possess the earth,and fill the face of the world with cities.”

22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord. 23 “And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord of hosts.

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;every precious stone was your covering,sardius, topaz, and diamond,beryl, onyx, and jasper,sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;and crafted in gold were your settingsand your engravings.On the day that you were createdthey were prepared.14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.15 You were blameless in your waysfrom the day you were created,till unrighteousness was found in you.16 In the abundance of your tradeyou were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire.17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.I cast you to the ground;I exposed you before kings,to feast their eyes on you.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of GodI will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assemblyin the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’15 But you are brought down to Sheol,to the far reaches of the pit.

12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

13:1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 If anyone is to be taken captive,to captivity he goes;if anyone is to be slain with the sword,with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

14:1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,O Lord God the Almighty!Just and true are your ways,O King of the nations!4 Who will not fear, O Lord,and glorify your name?For you alone are holy.All nations will comeand worship you,for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

5 After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened, 6 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, 8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple telling the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died that was in the sea.

4 The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say,

“Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was,for you brought these judgments.6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,and you have given them blood to drink.It is what they deserve!”

7 And I heard the altar saying,

“Yes, Lord God the Almighty,true and just are your judgments!”

8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire. 9 They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish 11 and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. 21 And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

15 And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!She has become a dwelling place for demons,a haunt for every unclean spirit,a haunt for every unclean bird,a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.3 For all nations have drunkthe wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

“Come out of her, my people,lest you take part in her sins,lest you share in her plagues;5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,and God has remembered her iniquities.6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,and repay her double for her deeds;mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,since in her heart she says,‘I sit as a queen,I am no widow,and mourning I shall never see.’8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,death and mourning and famine,and she will be burned up with fire;for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas! You great city,you mighty city, Babylon!For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.

14 “The fruit for which your soul longedhas gone from you,and all your delicacies and your splendorsare lost to you,never to be found again!”

15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

16 “Alas, alas, for the great citythat was clothed in fine linen,in purple and scarlet,adorned with gold,with jewels, and with pearls!17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”

And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,

“What city was like the great city?”

19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,

“Alas, alas, for the great citywhere all who had ships at seagrew rich by her wealth!For in a single hour she has been laid waste.20 Rejoice over her, O heaven,and you saints and apostles and prophets,for God has given judgment for you against her!”

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,and will be found no more;22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,will be heard in you no more,and a craftsman of any craftwill be found in you no more,and the sound of the millwill be heard in you no more,23 and the light of a lampwill shine in you no more,and the voice of bridegroom and bridewill be heard in you no more,for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,and of all who have been slain on earth.”

19:1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

“Hallelujah!Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,2 for his judgments are true and just;for he has judged the great prostitutewho corrupted the earth with her immorality,and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

3 Once more they cried out,

“Hallelujah!The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,all you his servants,you who fear him,small and great.”

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!For the Lord our Godthe Almighty reigns.7 Let us rejoice and exultand give him the glory,for the marriage of the Lamb has come,and his Bride has made herself ready;8 it was granted her to clothe herselfwith fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.15 You were blameless in your waysfrom the day you were created,till unrighteousness was found in you.16 In the abundance of your tradeyou were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire.

19 All who know you among the peoplesare appalled at you;you have come to a dreadful endand shall be no more forever.”

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of GodI will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assemblyin the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’15 But you are brought down to Sheol,to the far reaches of the pit.

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of GodI will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assemblyin the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’15 But you are brought down to Sheol,to the far reaches of the pit.

12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the signet of perfection,full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;every precious stone was your covering,sardius, topaz, and diamond,beryl, onyx, and jasper,sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle;and crafted in gold were your settingsand your engravings.On the day that you were createdthey were prepared.14 You were an anointed guardian cherub.I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God;in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.15 You were blameless in your waysfrom the day you were created,till unrighteousness was found in you.16 In the abundance of your tradeyou were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned;so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God,and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub,from the midst of the stones of fire.17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.I cast you to the ground;I exposed you before kings,to feast their eyes on you.18 By the multitude of your iniquities,in the unrighteousness of your tradeyou profaned your sanctuaries;so I brought fire out from your midst;it consumed you,and I turned you to ashes on the earthin the sight of all who saw you.19 All who know you among the peoplesare appalled at you;you have come to a dreadful endand shall be no more forever.”

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,O Day Star, son of Dawn!How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low!13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven;above the stars of GodI will set my throne on high;I will sit on the mount of assemblyin the far reaches of the north;14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;I will make myself like the Most High.’15 But you are brought down to Sheol,to the far reaches of the pit.

Published by Joseph Dear

Joseph Dear is author of the comprehensive study, The Bible Teaches Annihilationism. An accounting professional by trade, in his off time he purposefully shares any insight and wisdom he gains through prayer and Bible study, in the hope that it will be useful to others in their walk with God, and may further the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to blogging here at Rethinking Hell, Joseph maintains 3-Ring Binder, his personal website and blog.
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